2024’s Best Yearbook Designs: A President’s Collection Showcase

Get ready to train your staff with the third installment of our 2024 President’s Collection Series! This exclusive video series continues to showcase national award-winning yearbooks created by outstanding programs that partner with Walsworth Yearbooks. Each video takes you behind the scenes of these exceptional yearbooks, highlighting the design choices and storytelling strategies that earned them national recognition. Plus, with each video, you’ll get access to a Google Form assessment and a zip file of key spreads featured, making it easy to bring these lessons into your classroom. Watch with your staff and discover what sets these yearbooks apart!

Let’s begin with the next five books in the series:

Lair, Drake Middle School, Arvada, Colorado

The Drake Middle School yearbook is a shining example of innovative design and exceptional coverage. The split cover allows for a fun, personalized experience, while the consistent use of theme elements like chevrons, grid patterns and merged fonts create a cohesive visual identity. The theme spreads are expertly crafted, blending bold graphics with relatable, humorous copy that captures the chaos and drama of middle school. The academic coverage is particularly noteworthy, with various engaging features that bring learning to life. The portrait pages also stand out, incorporating modular elements like data visualizations and personality profiles to tell more dynamic stories. 

From start to finish, this yearbook demonstrates Drake Middle School’s commitment to journalistic excellence and its ability to produce a visually stunning and editorially compelling publication.

The Round-Up, Woodland Junior High School, Fayetteville, Arkansas

The Woodland Junior High yearbook is a great example of strong design and storytelling. The staff’s “Plain and Simple” theme comes through in every part of the book. From the cover’s mix of textures and patterns to the use of shapes and color blocks for theme copy, everything ties together for a consistent look. Fun, interactive spreads like the “Hot Cheetos or Takis” feature make the book more engaging for students. Including student voices and opinions adds variety and personality. The Woodland Junior High yearbook reflects the staff’s hard work and creativity, earning well-deserved recognition.

Brickhouse, Shawnee Mission North High School, Overland Park, KS

The Brickhouse from Shawnee Mission North has earned top honors as a CSPA Crown winner and an NSPA Pacemaker finalist. The staff brings their “This Time It’s Different” theme to life with bold design choices, from distinctive typography on the cover to a well-placed branded logo throughout the book. The pages are filled with detailed theme copy, engaging layouts and creative touches like a subtle student life divider and a personalized mugs section. With a strong grasp of design principles, the staff balances consistency with variety, making each spread feel connected yet fresh. Year after year, this team delivers a yearbook that truly reflects their school community.

Pantera, Mead High School, Spokane, Washington

Mead High School is a new Walsworth customer, and we’re thrilled to have them on board! Their award-winning yearbook stands out with bold design choices and creative storytelling. The cover’s mix of punctuation marks and contrasting typefaces sets the tone for their “We Can’t Quite Explain It, but it Totally Works” theme. That theme carries through the book with unique stories, and thoughtful design elements, like overlapping photos, bold typography, and a vibrant color palette, bring energy to each page. Mead High School’s yearbook is a great example of strong design and storytelling, earning well-deserved recognition.

Ledoian, Aledo High School, Aledo, Texas

The Aledo High School yearbook stands out with its bold design and creative details. The black and white cover, featuring a unique serif font, grabs attention right away. Thoughtful touches like the reversed school name and color-coded section dividers help tie the theme together throughout the book.

Instead of traditional theme copy, the opening spread focuses on student voices with captions and personal signatures, adding a meaningful touch. The staff isn’t afraid to take risks, as seen in the diagonal homecoming court spread and the use of social media-inspired elements like campaign brochures. Composite cutouts and other modern design choices keep the book fresh and engaging. Aledo’s award-winning yearbook reflects both the talent of its staff and the spirit of its school community.

Tune in next week to read about the next group of schools to be featured, and be sure to follow along with the videos in our President’s Collection Video Series and watch with your staff.